Archive for July 19th, 2012

Posted on July 19, 2012 - by Nurse Virginia

LIVING IN THE NURSING HOME WITH JOY

I was met at the door of the nursing facility by the director of activities. She greeted me with “You should see your mother today; she woke up this morning singing and hasn’t stopped.” She went on to tell me that my mom was so enthusiastic about her singing that the director sent someone to accompany mom with a guitar while she sang. She said mom and her accompanist have been having a great time together all morning

Sure enough when I entered her dining room there was a young caregiver smiling into mom’s face. Every time she gave mom something to eat, after mom swallowed she would once again pick up her happy song just where she had left off.

I was more than surprised; mom had just experienced a year of decline. Most of that time she had been rendered mute. She also during that time had lost most of her teeth, most of her vision and finally her hair. If someone had told her years ago that she would live to the age of 89 she certainly wouldn’t have pictured life like this.

Yet here she is, not only surviving but with joy. Singing out loud and strong “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.”

You see that is where her joy is coming from. She might not know that she is in a nursing home. She might not know that the sweet young woman who is taking care of her is not related to her but an employee of the nursing home. That the days, months and years are passing and so is her grasp on this life.

But what she does know is that her Savior has come and her mission spirit remains, to tell everyone about it.

Virginia Garberding R.N.

Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance

www.pleasegettoknowme.com